


#EBUG

by Maybeitstimetoearnmybluebead



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-06
Updated: 2018-02-06
Packaged: 2018-12-24 13:12:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12013476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maybeitstimetoearnmybluebead/pseuds/Maybeitstimetoearnmybluebead
Summary: Three Emergency Back-Up Goalies (EBUGs) that the Pittsburgh Penguins will never have.





	1. Goalie 1 (Fuck sushi)

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but an imagination.

Sid could hear the frantic conversation coming from the training room.  
“He obviously can’t play like this, and the Baby Pens are too far away to call someone up for tonight. Jarry can start but who are we going to have as a backup?!”  
  
He can also here poor Muzz retching into a trash can, moaning “Fuck sushi. Fuck food poisoning. I’m never eating from that shop again.”  
  
“The rink's EBUG?”

  
“Unavailable. His father in law died, he’s out of town for the funeral.”  
  
“Shit.”  
  
“Shit.”

 

Sid goes to turn away but then suddenly has an idea.  
  
“Coach- I couldn’t help but overhear that we’re having trouble finding a back up goalie for tonight…”  
  
“No, we’re not having you suit up, Sid. We need your goal scoring tonight.”  
  
Sid laughs a little, “I know, I know… but what I was going to say is that Taylor is in town and her gear is actually in my truck? We didn’t bother unloading after I picked her up because we’re going to a rink tomorrow anyways.”  
  
“Taylor, as in your sister?”  
  
“She’s an NCAA DI goalie. Or rather, she was. Her 4th season just ended so she doesn’t even need to worry about NCAA eligibility.”  
  
Rutherford and Sully look at each other…

 

“Give her a call, she’d probably do better than our EBUG anyways. And definitely better than Mr. Bad Sushi over there.” GMJR says after a minute.

 

Sid gives her a call and Taylor, astounded, agrees. “I’ll probably just be sitting on the bench the whole time, so whatever. Probably better than the family box anyways- it’s just weird without Vero now.”  
  
Taylor shows up just in time for warm ups. She wears a practice jersey at first because the equipment guys are still making _her_ jersey. The TV announcers don’t realize who the backup is.  
  
“Just now getting reports that Matt Murry will be out tonight with food poisoning, Tristan Jarry will be in net. A not-yet-named emergency backup has been called and is warming up with the team.”  
  
They come back out for the first period and Taylor has her jersey “T. Crosby” written on the back. A fan in the stands catches (and tweets) it before the official sportscasters catch on.

 

“Looks like the Pens are making history tonight. #SisterCrosby is the EBUG.”


	2. Goalie 2 (Or, Fuck Sushi... again)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In all honesty, Matt Murry should probably just give up and never, ever eat sushi again

In all honesty, Matt Murry should probably just give up and _never, ever_ eat sushi again. After that time that Taylor Crosby had been the EBUG, he’d given it up for the most part, but well… when in Japan, how could he _not_ eat sushi?

The Penguins and the Coyotes had been selected for the 2020 NHL ~~China~~ Asia games and found themselves in Tokyo for some pre-season exhibition action. After practice two days before the first game a group of them had gone exploring in the city, and Muzz, poor Muzz, had given in and gotten some truly delicious sushi- from a street vendor. 36 hours later he was regretting that decision.

“Coach, I feel fine! I swear! Yesterday was bad but today I’m good to go.”

Sully sighs. “Matt, I believe you. But we’re still going to have Jarry start. It’s an exhibition game- I’d rather have you continue to rest up for tomorrow’s game.”

Matt nods, looking a little chagrined, “Ok, that makes sense. I guess I’m just a little… eager to prove that I’m fine, after what happened _last_ time I ate bad sushi.”

“Muzz, it’s not something you have to prove,” Mike laughs. “Though have you ever considered just not getting sushi from food courts or street vendors?”

Suddenly, they hear a laugh in the distance. A very loud, distinct laugh.

“Soundss like the rest of the boys are finally here.” And that was that was the end of it.

 

Or so they thought. But when the first period ended and Sully looked around the dressing room, Matt was nowhere to be seen- his gear piled haphazardly near his locker. He takes a deep breath and looks at his assistant coaches and team medical staff, who are still in the hallway.

“Anyone want to tell me where my other goalie is?”

Dana, who was not part of the group being addressed but who’d heard him anyways, pipes up. “He’s… occupied, unfortunately. Which of these boys do you think the pads would fit best?”

“What do you mean ‘occupied’ and why are you asking who the pads would fit?”

“He wasn’t feeling great. I don’t think he’s as fine after yesterday as we’d thought,” a trainer clarifies.

“And I want to know what name to put on the back of the EBUG jersey. We have to use one of the boys, this rink doesn’t have anyone here and it’s too late in the game to get the on-call guy”

“They have an on call EBUG in Japan?”

“The goalie from the men’s national team is in the area, but he needs at least an hour to get here… I asked about it yesterday.”

Everyone turns around towards to dressing room door at that.

“Sidney.”

“What? We were all wondering, I mean, Muzz ate sushi and Taylor’s not here this time.”

Mike turns back to the trainer, “Is he going to be ok enough to sit in his gear, on a chair, in the tunnel?”

“Maybe? We could try it for the second period. But Dana might actually want to make up a jersey for someone just in case.”

Mike turns around, a look in his eye.

“Get a hat trick this period and it’s yours.”

Sid startles, lets out a honking laugh, and nods. “Ok, coach.”

 

If the laughter on the bench is anything to go by, some of the other guys on the team must have found out about the deal. To the surprise of no one who’d heard the conversation, Sid does indeed get a hat trick in the second period. For one, he’s Sidney Crosby and the opponent is the ‘Yotes, but for another, he’s Sidney Crosby and he _always_ plays goalie when given the chance.

It’s a good thing, too, because when the horn sounds to end the second, Matt takes off down the tunnel. Sid notices and frowns.

Back in the dressing room, Muzz has peeled off his gear.

“You know I’d rather have you feeling better than me in net, right?”

“What, Sid, yeah, of course.”

“Ok, yeah, just checking. You bolted down the tunnel pretty quick.”

“Because I knew we’d have to make time for an awkward conversation like this one.”

“Fair.”

“Now here, I know you’re probably just going to sit on the bench and open the door, but you do _actually_ need to get the gear on.”

Sid chuckles and starts trying to get the goalie pads on, having taken his own gear off as they talked. And then he notices Tanger with his phone out.

“What… are you doing?”

“Snapping Flower and your sister. They’re both so proud!”

“Yes, their little goalie, all grown up!” Geno adds.

Suddenly, Sid’s childlike giddiness drops down a little. “Aw shit. This is going to become a _thing_ isn’t it.”

“Sid,” Dana says, handing over the goalie jersey, Crosby and 87 hastily having been added, “It’s been a thing for _years_.”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Like the summary says, three EBUGs the Pens will NEVER have. But a girl can wish, right?


End file.
